I create indexes for complex, demanding projects in law and the humanities. While the bulk of my work is in traditional back-of-the-book indexing, I also produce indexes for websites, design taxonomies for online databases, and undertake developmental editing for select projects.

You may be wondering just what an index is. Here’s the simple answer: you know those columns at the back of the book where you look stuff up? That’s an index. Here’s the more complicated answer: an index is an intellectual analysis of the text, broken down into topics a reader is likely to search for, arranged in an objective order (usually alphabetical, but on occasion numerical, chronological, or geographical), and supplemented with alternative terms that provide multiple points of entry into the text.

Mertes Editorial Services, a sole proprietorship, has been in business since 1993. My work is fast, accurate, and reliable, and creates a structured framework that readers of your text will find invaluable. If you have a specific project in mind, or if you just want to find out more about my work, please feel free to phone or email me at your convenience. You can find out more about my background, education, and experience in my Curriculum Vitae. The FAQs answer some frequently asked questions about working with indexers. Consult the Specialties tab for a list and brief description of the subject areas in which I index, and for more information about taxonomy construction and developmental editing. In More About Indexing, you’ll find some articles I have composed on the art of indexing.